In an interview with retired IAS officer T. Vijay Kumar
It was utterly shocking to know about the extreme water crisis in Bengaluru. In some parts of Maharashtra, there are cases where a big bucket of water was bought for Rs 200. This time, the water problem has become serious in Hyderabad as well. If the rain had not arrived earlier, there would have been a situation of water scarcity even here. However, this danger is always lurking, so how can we get out of this problem? Retired IAS officer and current EPTRI consultant T Vijay Kumar spoke about many interesting aspects of this matter. Excerpts from the same:
“It is not only the governments or authorities that should work about the conservation of fresh water; awareness should be increased among the people as well. It should be understood that future generations can survive only if water is conserved. Telangana receives about 900 mm of rain in 45 to 60 days. That is, if all this water is stored on the ground, it is calculated that we will have three feet of deep water. However, this water flows somewhere. Unpredictable changes have taken place in the weather in recent times. Half of the rain that should fall in 45 to 60 days is falling in two days. As soon as summer comes, the water pressure will increase. Urban flooding is increasing during the rainy season. In such situations, efforts should be made to store the rainfall through roofs. We need to know how much rainwater is needed for our daily activities. Keeping aside the question of whether it is 10 percent or 20 percent, we should store as much water as possible.”
“It is known that wells are usually 11–12 metres deep in Hyderabad. There is a possibility of recharge of rainwater there. Water storage capacity should be increased. Sintex tanks can be used for this purpose. Buy a tank and store water in it. If desired, this water can be used efficiently at home for washing clothes, flushing, washing cars and bikes, and gardening. This water can be used to grow greenery in the same apartments. If twenty percent of the rainwater is stored, it can be used for about six months to one year. This water is not perishable. However, if there is an understanding of what to use that water for, then filtration should be done at that level. If the columns are made with active carbon, 20–40 mm aggregate, sand, etc., and filtration is done to prevent the particles from entering them, It is almost as if we get RO-quality water. Connect something like Ultra Violet Filtration or Aquaguard to drink fresh water happily. However, sunlight should not fall on the freshwater storage area.
EPTRI Helps
Anyone can do the process of rainwater harvesting. However, if rainwater is to be used for drinking purposes, it is better to do it under expert supervision. For this, organisations like EPTRI can be contacted, and they will provide support.
